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Nikki McGowan is no stranger to half-pints in the kitchen. The Howard County chef teaches kid-centric cooking classes in schools all over the region, making her a perfect fit to help us kick off Maryland Family's brand new Kids' Cooking Club. Each week during June, check the Maryland Family website for a new kid-friendly recipe designed by a local chef. Make the recipes with your child, and tell us about it (see the next page for how to join). Once you've completed all four, we'll mail your budding chef a congratulatory certificate.

Filling the shoes of the former Brass Elephant, which closed in August 2009, is like slipping into an $800 pair of Christian Louboutins. Located in the heart of Mount Vernon, the building is so elegant and beautiful that it immediately demands to be taken seriously. Unfortunately for Museum, the new restaurant and lounge that held its grand opening in June, that type of scrutiny did not exactly help its case on a recent Friday night. It's a shame because the night was filled with dancing to a solid DJ. But there was no mistaking the red flags.

It's a heartbreaking decision that thousands of devoted pet owners are forced to make every year: pay the bills or feed the dog or cat? The choice between paying for heat, water, or groceries and buying a bag of pet food is all too real for many families and as a result, many dogs and cats end up in shelters -- not because they weren't loved, but because they were just too expensive. New York entrepreneur Marc Okon decided to turn the sad trend into something positive and in late February launched Pet Food Stamps , a nonprofit organization that offers assistance to families who can't afford food for their animals.

An Army officer from Eldersburg was among five soldiers killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said late Saturday. Capt. Sara M. Knutson, 27, died Monday in Kandahar, the Pentagon said in a release. Knutson was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. Knutson, a 2003 graduate of Liberty High School and a 2007 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is the first Marylander killed in Afghanistan this year.

An Annapolis correspondent wrote in concerned about Hell Point Seafood. She got the news that Bob Kinkead's restaurant may be closed from the Eye On Annapolis website. John Frenaye says that Hell Point Seafood appears to have closed after Sunday night 's dinner service but he has been unable so far to have the news confirmed from the restaurant's management. The closing may be temporary, the article says. The restaurant's website wasn't functioning on Wednesday morning, although it was down last time I checked on Feb. 8. An outgoing message on Hell Point's phone has information about winter hours, which were said to be Thursday through Saturday dinner and Friday through Sunday lunch service.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs founded Ball So Hard University in jest, but three months later, the joke has become a serious legal dispute. In a recorded introduction for an early-November game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when players recite their names and alma maters for the TV cameras, Suggs said, "Sizzle. Ball So Hard University. " He chose to forgo his real name and college, Arizona State University, in favor of a nickname and a fictional institution based on the refrain of a 2011 hip-hop song by Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Dumbarton Middle School is closed Wednesday due to lack of water, according to the Baltimore County Public Schools website. No other closings or cancellations have been reported for Baltimore County public schools, according to the website.

A Cumberland man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to running a child pornography website, prosecutors said. George Sell, 70, is guilty of conspiracy to transport child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. From December 2006 through August 2008, Sell conspired with others to operate a website dedicated to trading child pornography images called the "Country Lounge," according to his plea agreement.

For the past seven years, Darnella Parks and her entire family - from toddler nieces to her 84-year-old grandmother - have attended Artscape. They come for the crafts, the food and, most of all, the live entertainment. But this year, the 33-year-old Towson resident and her family are skipping Friday's opening night - not because of the heat or the crowds, but because of the music. Brian McKnight, the 16-time Grammy nominee who for years built a reputation as a clean-cut, R&B ladies' man, is scheduled to take Artscape's main stage Friday night.

The dates for the winter version of Annapolis Restaurant Week are set. The annual dining promotion will be held from Feb. 25 through March 3. Over 40 restaurants are participating in this year's promotion , which is organized by the Annapolis Business Association. You can see them on the event website . The pricing details will be announced soon, the website says. Follow Baltimore Diner on Twitter @gorelickingood